The Lost Home

Age 8

My home was once beautiful. But now, it’s full of trash. I still look up and see the sun shining bright orange and red across the beautiful sea. I am a little crab and this is where I live.

I always need to find a new home. I don’t feel comfortable and there aren’t many choices. I once lived in a plastic cup for a little while. I didn’t really like it there. But, there are no sea shells left in the sea.

While I was living in the cup, a little lobster came by and said, ‘Little crab, there’s a cup on your back! Why are you dressed like this?”

“I am trying to find a better home,” I answered.

The lobster joined me. We started walking and walking to find a better home. The lobster saw something that looked like a balloon but it flew away. I saw another thing that I didn’t recognize.

“What’s this?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” said the lobster.

The lobster went for a closer look and said, “I think it’s a plastic bag.” I didn’t think a plastic bag would make a good home for a little crab like me. So, we continued searching.

All of a sudden, we saw some people walking toward the beach.

“Run! Hide” said the lobster.

We found a rock and hid behind it. We tried to watch and listen to them closely. The people were dressed differently than other people and they had a lot of tools with them. They were talking about saving animals like us and cleaning the oceans.

“Oh, those are marine biologists!” said the lobster. “They are here to help us and protect the Earth. They are good people.”

We weren’t scared anymore. We swam to the marine biologists.

The marine biologists saw us and said “Aw look at the little crab. It looks like it doesn’t have a shell. We should help it find a home.”

The marine biologists helped me find the perfect shell for my home! They also told other people not to throw trash in the ocean because that will cause water pollution.

“We need to tell everyone to keep the beaches clean so animals can live here. If we see trash in the sand or water, we should pick it up and throw it away. It’s our job to keep the beach beautiful and healthy. If anyone wants to make decorations, try not to take too many seashells from the beach. The shells belong to the crabs!”

So, now I am a little crab who found my home.